The authorized biography of the legendary artist Tupac Shakur a “touching empathetic
portrait” ( The New York Times ) of his life and powerful legacy fully illustrated with photos
mementos handwritten poetry musings and more Artist poet actor revolutionary legend
Tupac Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all time. More than a
quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five he
continues to be one of the most misunderstood complicated and influential figures in modern
history. Drawing on exclusive access to Tupac’s private notebooks letters and uncensored
conversations with those who loved and knew him best this estate-authorized biography paints
the fullest and most intimate picture to date of the young man who became a legend for
generations to come. In Tupac Shakur author and screenwriter Staci Robinson—who knew Tupac
from their shared circle of high school friends in Marin City California and who was
entrusted by his mother Afeni Shakur to share his story—unravels the myths and unpacks the
complexities that have shadowed Tupac’s existence. Decades in the making this book pulls back
the curtain to reveal a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art—a man driven by
equal parts brilliance and impulsiveness steeped in the rich intellectual tradition of Black
empowerment and unafraid to utter raw truths about race in America. It is a story of a mother
and son bound together by a love for each other and for their people and the relationship that
endured through their darkest times. It is a political story that begins in the whirlwind of
the 1960s civil rights movement and unfolds through a young artist’s awakening to rage and
purpose in the ’90s era of Rodney King. It is a story of dizzying success and its devastating
consequences. And of course it is the story of Tupac’s music his timeless undying message
as it continues to touch and inspire us today.
